You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 600

"Qin Yi, shut up!" Zhao Gang stood up abruptly, his massive frame looking especially large in the light of the oil lamp. His voice was filled with undeniable anger, shaking the lights on the wall slightly.

"Brother Gang, don't you also dislike elders?" Qin Yi retorted with his neck stiff, his slightly childish face full of stubbornness.

"You can hang someone just because you don't like something. What's the difference between your behavior and that of an elder, little brat!" Zhao Gang's voice was like thunder. His thick eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were filled with anger and disappointment.

Qin Yi shrank his neck, mumbling a few inaudible words, and finally lowered his head. His drooping shoulders suggested he finally understood Zhao Gang's intentions. A heavy atmosphere permeated the assembly hall, and even the thick fog outside the window seemed to grow even more ominous.

"I have a suggestion." Qian Jin suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. His dark face looked particularly deep in the dim light.

"What suggestions, Qian Jin?" Gao Zhijie turned his head, a hint of curiosity flashing in his turbid eyes.

"If we continue like this, there will be no results. It's better to choose one through voting. What do you think, Mr. Gao?" Qian Jin's tone was unusually calm, as if he was discussing a very ordinary matter.

"Ah!? Are you kidding me? You use such a casual method to select people!" Zhao Gang widened his eyes in disbelief, and his rough big hands clenched into fists.

"How can it be casual! Do you have any other method besides voting to get so many people to reach a consensus?!" Qian Jin's voice suddenly rose, and a hint of urgency flashed in his eyes.

"We should all discuss this together and reach a consensus!" Zhao Gang's voice was filled with reluctance.

"Brother Gang, I understand how you feel." Wang Lina said softly, her pretty face full of worry.

"But, choosing someone to execute by voting or something like that?" Chen Xiang said in a trembling voice, her slender hands tightly clasped together.

"Brother, what do you think?" Gao Mei looked at Qin Ming cautiously, her pale little face full of anticipation.

"I agree with Qian Jin's opinion." Qin Ming was silent for a long time before he finally spoke slowly. His voice was soft, but it was like a huge rock dropping into a calm lake.

"Even Qin Ming..." Wang Lina's voice was filled with disbelief.

"That's it." As soon as Gao Zhijie finished speaking, the entire assembly hall erupted in an uproar. The cold wind outside the window whimpered, as if lamenting its impending fate.

"Hualu, do you have something to write with?" Gao Zhijie turned to Hualu who was standing beside him. There was no expression on his wrinkled face.

".Yes." Hualu replied in a low voice, a hint of sadness flashing in her gentle eyes.

Following Old Man Gao's decision, everyone seemed to silently accept this cruel arrangement. This was indeed a traditional practice from ancient times, and even if they were reluctant, they had no choice but to comply. Deep in the assembly hall stood a storage area, where not only wine bottles and glasses were stored, but also some stationery. At Old Man Gao's signal, Hua Lu stood up and walked to the storage area, took out fresh paper and an ancient inkstone, and began to write. The flame of the oil lamp swayed gently as she moved, casting a wavering shadow on the wall, as if witnessing this inevitable choice.

"Tang Yin." Xia Hui called softly, her bright eyes flashing with anxiety in the dim light.

"What's wrong?" Tang Yin turned his head and noticed the thoughtful expression on Xia Hui's face.

"The wine and stationery are ready. This means that what's happening now is within someone's expectations, right?" Xia Hui's voice was soft, but like a sharp sword, it cut straight to the heart of the matter. Her slender fingers unconsciously stroked the wooden table in front of her, as if searching for a sense of security.

Tang Yin's gaze fell on the stationery Hua Lu was using. "Indeed, this paper doesn't look like it's decades old, and the ink isn't moldy." There was a hint of caution in his tone, and a glimmer of insight flashed in his eyes.

"This is really a man-made farce, right?" Xia Hui's voice trembled slightly, and her delicate little face was full of anxiety and suspicion.

Hualu paused her writing and looked up. The light from the oil lamp danced on her gentle face. "This building is a shrine where the Qianming God appears. During the twice-yearly mountain festival, the elders of the four families of Baifeng Village come here to pay their respects." Her voice was soft, tinged with an indescribable sadness.

"There's a lot of sacred wine, writing utensils, ropes, sickles," Hualu continued, her eyes sweeping over the various items on display in the assembly hall. "They say these are all offerings passed down from ancient times, unchanged."

Xia Hui was silent for a moment, her face paler still. She opened her mouth, as if on the verge of saying something but unable to. "So, it wasn't prepared just for this occasion. So, the four elder families knew all along that these things would actually be used, right?"

"I, I don't know." Qian Jin waved his hands hastily, panic written all over his dark face. The wind outside the window suddenly grew stronger, making the wooden window frame creak.

".In the less than a year since I married into the Chen family, I haven't heard of any of this, but this kind of thing...ah, this is actually the situation." Chen Xiang lowered her head, her slender hands clenched tightly together, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"Is that so?" Tang Yin asked thoughtfully, his eyes slowly sweeping across the room, as if looking for some clues.

"Actually, there was a moment when I had the same feeling, but I have never heard of this before~" Tong Xiaoliang showed a slightly artificial smile, and his narrow eyes narrowed into a slit.

"Even if there really is a secret, I can't tell you." Qian Jin snorted coldly, with a hint of contempt in his eyes.

"Uncle, you don't have the right to say that~" Tong Xiaoliang's voice still contained a smile, but there was already a threat in his tone.

"It's really complicated." Tang Yin sighed. He could feel the tension in the air.

"I didn't know the offerings would actually be used," Hua Lu whispered, a hint of confusion flashing in her gentle eyes. "Perhaps there's something only the Qin family knows, or only a few elders know."

"Bullshit! Stop lying! Aren't you the head of the Hua family?!" Qin Yi suddenly erupted in rage, leaping to his feet. His young face twisted in anger, and his finger trembled as he pointed at Hua Lu. This sudden outburst plunged the room into a deathly silence; even the howling wind outside the window seemed to have stopped. The flame of the oil lamp danced uneasily in the tense atmosphere, casting swaying shadows on the wall, as if foreshadowing a greater storm to come.

"Ah" Hua Lu was startled by Qin Yi's sudden questioning and took a step back. The pen in her hand fell to the ground, making a crisp sound on the wooden floor.

"Ayi! Don't stop her from writing!" Gao Zhijie shouted sternly, his cloudy eyes emitting a terrifying light.

"What's up, old man? You want a fight?!" Qin Yi flipped the table in front of him, sending the wooden top slamming to the ground, shaking the oil lamp violently. His young face flushed crimson with anger, veins throbbing in his forehead. "Qin Yi, calm down." Zhao Gang reached out and placed a hand on Qin Yi's shoulder, his voice steady and forceful.

"Brother Gang, even you are scared!!" Qin Yi shook off Zhao Gang's hand, with angry glint in his eyes.

"Uncle Gao, honestly, I understand Qin Yi's feelings." Zhao Gang took a deep breath and turned to Gao Zhijie. The light from the oil lamp cast a huge shadow on his burly frame. "Xia Hui is right. The elders knew this would happen a long time ago, so they are hypocritically offering sacrifices here."

"Hualu, do you really know nothing? It's better not to hide it anymore." Zhao Gang stared at Hualu sharply, as if he wanted to see through her heart.

"I..." Hualu lowered her head, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting together. A trace of pain crossed her gentle face. "I just had a premonition." She paused, her voice suddenly becoming ethereal. "The God is about to be resurrected."

Suddenly, a chaotic noise broke the tense atmosphere, and everyone's eyes turned to the source of the sound - Wang Lina and Gao Mei.

"—Impossible." Wang Lina stumbled back, knocking over the chair behind her. Her pretty face was filled with fear. "Because, no, but, as expected. God—" Her voice trembled, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Gao Mei suddenly burst into crazy laughter. The laughter was harsh and weird, echoing in the assembly hall.

This sudden change left everyone stunned. Gao Zhijie's face turned pale. "Xiaomei!" he shouted, rushing to his granddaughter's side.

".Mei, Sister Mei. Could it be again..." Qin Yi's anger dissipated in an instant, and a deep worry appeared on his face.

"Isn't he already healed?" Chen Xiang covered her mouth, her voice filled with panic.

"Xiaomei, cheer up~!" Tong Xiaoliang wanted to step forward, but was stopped by Gao Zhijie.

"Get out of the way, Xiaoliang! Damn it, Qian Jin! Do you know what to do?" Gao Zhijie hugged his granddaughter who was laughing continuously tightly, his weather-beaten face full of anxiety and pain.

"I've said it before! Mental illness like this can't be cured in a place like this!" Qian Jin clenched his fists, his tone filled with a hint of self-blame.

"Let me do it!" Hua Lu suddenly took a step forward, her eyes becoming unusually determined.

"Don't touch my granddaughter!" Gao Zhijie roared, holding Gao Mei tightly in his arms like a tiger protecting its cub. The wind howled outside the window, and the thick fog seemed to grow even thicker, shrouding the entire assembly hall in an eerie atmosphere.

"Xiaomei! Calm down, calm down! I'm right here!" Gao Zhijie's voice choked with sobs. He gently stroked his granddaughter's back, trying to calm her laughter. The flame of the oil lamp danced restlessly in the chaos, casting distorted shadows on the wall, as if witnessing all these incredible developments.

Tang Yin stood there, his mind swirling with thoughts. His sharp eyes surveyed the chaotic scene before him, trying to make sense of the situation. Darkness had quietly descended, and the light from the oil lamp cast flickering shadows on the wall, adding a touch of unreality to the eerie atmosphere.

The word "god"—like a key, it not only caused Wang Lina to lose her composure, but now even Gao Mei fell into this abnormal state. Tang Yin's pupils narrowed slightly, and a bold idea emerged in his mind. Could the deity worshipped here not be the legendary Wolf God, nor the Thousand Bright God, but Wolf Master?
Just as this thought emerged, the hunched old man suddenly let out an eerie laugh: "Hey, hahahaha, ha!" Mr. Wolf's laughter echoed in the empty assembly hall, making people's hair stand on end. "Wolf!" he suddenly shouted, a glint of madness flashing in his cloudy eyes.

"--Old man! Stop talking nonsense now!" Zhao Gang shouted sternly, his burly body blocking in front of Mr. Wolf, as if to stop this madness from spreading further.

"Zhao Gang, don't be so rude!" Chen Xiang hurried forward to dissuade him, her delicate face full of anxiety.

"Namo Thousand-Ming Great Powerful Manifestation, Namo Thousand-Ming Great Powerful Manifestation!" Granny Rong knelt on the ground, chanting scriptures continuously, with a hint of trembling in her old voice.

Tang Yin stared at the hellish scene before him. The assembly hall was filled with frantic laughter, anxious shouts, and devout prayers. The flames of the oil lamps danced restlessly in the chaos, as if trembling with the madness itself.

After a long moment, Gao Mei finally calmed down. Her pale face was still dazed, and she looked around in a daze. "What's wrong with me? Am I in a coma from anemia?" Her voice was weak and confused.

"You should rest for a while." Gao Zhijie comforted his granddaughter softly, his wrinkled face full of worry.

"Grandpa." Gao Mei called softly, nestling in her grandfather's arms like a lost child.

Wang Lina has also returned to normal. "Sorry, I'm fine." Her expression has returned to its usual calmness, as if the previous loss of composure had never happened.

Tang Yin's gaze swept across the crowd, and an indescribable chill welled up in his heart. These people would panic when faced with changes in their loved ones and acquaintances, but why were they able to accept such a ridiculous ritual as the Huangquan Feast so calmly?
He understood the fear of monsters and the horror of curses, but how much more of this hell must he witness to uncover the truth behind the insanity of hanging his own mother and watching the man he loved executed?

"Finished." Hua Lu's voice interrupted Tang Yin's thoughts. The paper in her hand neatly listed the names of each participant, like a solemn joint letter.

"Prepare to resume the banquet." Gao Zhijie's voice was steady and commanding. The climax of the night was approaching, and the shadow of death loomed over everyone's heart.

"Vote in order, starting from the seat at the top." Gao Zhijie looked around. "Hualu, you'll be responsible for recording who voted for whom. Wang Lina and Qin Ming, you watch over Hualu."

"I understand." Wang Lina replied softly.

"I understand." Qin Ming nodded, a complex look flashing in his deep eyes.

".We are not voting for Miss Xia Hui and Mr. Tang Yin this time, is that right?" Hua Lu confirmed cautiously.

"This is my plan. The rest of you can handle it yourself." Gao Zhijie's tone left no room for doubt.

"That's right. I'll leave it to you to judge for yourself what they just said. If you agree, please vote," Qian Jin added, his dark face expressionless. The thick fog outside the window seemed to grow even thicker, completely isolating the entire assembly hall from the outside world, as if it had become a separate hell.

(End of this chapter)